News
Lankans opt to spend less on education
Around 40 percent of Sri Lankans have resorted to livelihood-based coping strategies by reducing their spending on education and health owing to the current economic crisis, says the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, in its latest annual report.
The 73rd Annual Report of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka released recently (April 27), has laid out the extent of the country’s worst economic crisis, in more than 70 years.It says that last year wages failed to keep up with the soaring cost of everything, from food to fuel.
Resorting to livelihood based coping strategies by reducing their spending on education and health could eventually lead to deterioration in long term nutritional conditions and wellbeing, says the report. “The latest official assessment of the Family Health Bureau of Ministry of Health, that was conducted under the concept of Nutrition Month in October 2022, on nutritional status of children, under five years, reveals that the nutritional status of children deteriorated in 2022,
reflecting the decline in household wellbeing, during the economic crisis. The assessment results indicate a worsening in all major nutrition indicators for children, particularly, stunting, wasting, and underweight in the under five-year age category. At the national level, the percentage of underweight children, under five years, increased to 15.3 percent, in 2022, from 12.2 percent in 2021. Both stunting and wasting among children, under five years, increased to 9.2 percent and 10.1 percent, respectively, in 2022, from 7.4 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively, recorded in 2021.”
“According to the Remote Household Food Security Survey of the World Food Programme (WFP), which consists of 2,137 surveys across all nine provinces conducted through a computer assisted telephone interviewing data collection approach, the food security status of the country remained vulnerable, as at end 2022, with 68.0 percent of the population adopting food-based coping strategies by limiting portion sizes, reducing the number of meals, and relying on less preferred food.
“According to the Survey, child malnutrition has deteriorated in most districts, exacerbating the existing nutrition anomalies among children across the country. The Nuwara Eliya District had the highest percentage of stunted children, with a reported percentage of 22.8 percent, while the Colombo District had the lowest percentage of stunted children of 5.1 percent. Further, the Nuwara Eliya District reported the highest percentage of underweight children, under the age of five, at 23.9 percent, while the Colombo District had the lowest percentage of underweight children at 9.8 percent. It is apparent that nutrition anomalies in the country have been persisted despite government intervention efforts, and these inequalities are likely to worsen during economic crises, unless addressed cohesively.”
In a swift search and rescue (SAR) operation, the Sri Lanka Navy on 22 Jun 2026 rendered assistance to a one-day fishing trawler that had failed to return to its intended destination.
Reportedly, the fishing trawler and its 02 crew members ran into trouble due to adverse weather conditions off the north coast of the island. The rescue mission was launched
immediately following an alert from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources regarding the overdue trawler.
Responding to the distress call, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo, coordinated the deployment of naval craft for the SAR operation.
During the operation, naval personnel located the distressed trawler and its 02 fishermen in the seas off the Analaitivu Island and they were brought to safety.
Maintaining a round-the-clock vigil, the Sri Lanka Navy, through the coordination of MRCC Colombo, remains constantly prepared to deploy assets and extend vital lifesaving assistance to the naval and fishing communities facing perils within the Sri
Lankan Search and Rescue Region.
The NPP government has not taken a final decision regarding filling of the vacancies in the judiciary.
A group of Opposition MPs, led by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, on 12 June, requested Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremeratne to take up the issue of judicial vacancies with President Dissanayake. Opposition sources said that there were four vacancies, each in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, and the inordinate delay had adversely affected the judiciary.
Government sources indicated that there was no change in the status quo as regards filling of vacancies. Referring to the government proposal to extend the retirement age of judges, authoritative sources said that no final decision had been taken yet.
SJB lawmaker Dayasiri Jayasekera told The Island that they would raise the issue in Parliament this week.
He said that the deliberate delay in making appointments to superior courts and the move to extend the retirement age couldn’t be taken separately.
The MP noted that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the Lawyers’ Collective, the Colombo High Court Lawyers’ Association, Colombo Magistrate’s Court Lawyers’ Association and the Bar Association of Badulla had opposed the government move.
There hadn’t been any public statements in support of the government move, MP Jayasekera said, urging the government to end uncertainty in the judiciary.
by Shamindra Ferdinando
SJB leader Sajith Premadasa has invited the UNP and other political parties to join his party. Premadasa, who is also the leader of the Opposition, has emphasised that the UNP and the SJB could reach a consensus on policies but his party wouldn’t, under any circumstances, accept whatever formula to share positions. Premadasa said so, speaking to the media over the weekend, after meeting the Mahanayaka Thera of the Malwatta Chapter of the Siyam Nikaya Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera.
A statement issued by the Opposition Leader’s Office quoted MP Premadasa as having extended an invitation to all political parties to give up extremist policies and join the SJB.
The SJB leader alleged that the NPP government feared facing elections and that was the reason for the inordinate delay in holding Provincial Council polls. PC polls were last held in 2012, 2013 and 2014, on a staggered basis. Premadasa said that if PC polls were held his party would definitely win the majority of PCs.Premadasa also urged the government to reduce electricity tariffs and fuel prices.
ICC launches post-pregnancy return-to-play guidelines
Chamari Athapaththu: ‘I think I’m a failure as a captain’
Navy’s prompt search and rescue mission saves lives at sea
UK’s Starmer resigns as prime minister
President chairs discussion on providing swift solutions to challenges in apparel sector
Schools close as more than half of France under red heat alerts
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News7 days agoBeijing Capital Airlines to resume flights to Colombo signalling boost to tourism
-
Features6 days agoKilling of Colombo’s ancient trees — a warning on UN’s World Desertification Day – 17 June
-
News4 days agoCreditor receives USD 2.5 mn as Lankan public bears loss from theft of Treasury funds
-
News3 days agoCreditor not yet paid
-
News3 days agoConsumers bearing 22% tax burden despite 18% VAT claim: Dr. Harsha de Silva
-
Opinion5 days agoBeyond diagnosis: A strategic design for 7% growth by 2029 (Part I)
-
Opinion7 days agoFifty years after Soweto uprising
-
Sports7 days agoCatch every moment of the 2026 FIFA World Cup free on the Dialog PLAY App